BEHIND THE SCENES

HAPPINESS DAY to commemorate Bhasker Sir’s birthday was absolutely awesome to say the least.

The grand prize distribution was the talk of the town. But behind all these arrangements there is one meticulous lady burning midnight oil (literally) from selecting the prizes and not just any prize, a lot of thoughtfulness goes into it to the method of conducting the game or competition. Sometimes I see her messages sent at 3:00 AM such is her dedication and involvement in anything she does.
I wonder how she manages this perfect innovative presentation every single time.

Decades of experience as a banker her attention to detail is incredible. You will see that in some of the photographs shared here. The ballot boxes were colour coded for the judges to cast their marks!

She sent this lovely email for all the judges:

Dear All, I am pleased to share with you that the response from the children and grandchildren of our staff has been very heart warming. Today was the last day for submission of their entries for the following three competitions, and most of the entries had been submitted well before the deadline: i) Fancy Dress Competition for children up to the age of 5; (photographs submitted) ii) Drawing/Painting competition on the theme Sports/Tourist spots in India 9for children above upto 12 years and iii) Model house to be prepared from waste. (above 12 years) Photographs of the children in fancy dress and entries for the drawing/painting competitions and the model house will be on display at the Indoor Games Room and the Magazine Room at The Retreat from 12 noon tomorrow, Tuesday, September 28th 2021. As informed earlier, the exhibits will be judged by all of us – as far as I can see, it will both be a pleasant as well as a challenging task : pleasant because we are bound to feel proud of the talents of our children and challenging because the entries are of a high standard. Trophies will be awarded to the first, second and third prize winners in each category. The third category has been classified in two groups viz., below 17 years and above 17 years. Thus, in all there will be 12 prizes. Lists detailing the participants in each category will be kept ready in the lounge and all are requested to view the exhibits and award marks on the lists provided. These may be dropped in the respective boxes, which will be opened in the evening of September 30, 2021 to determine the winners. To facilitate counting, the lists are printed in different coloured paper. After awarding marks on the sheets, you are requested to kindly drop the marked lists in the boxes marked with the corresponding colours. Apart from the aesthetic value, you may also judge the entries taking into account other parameters such as creativity, innovativeness and the difficulty level etc. The maximum marks are 100 and you may award marks suitably to each participant. I request your utmost support to carry out this pleasant duty and am confident that you will enjoy doing it.

The trophies and medals for the Artwork & Fancy Dress competition were customised for the children. She is a child psychologist I would say!
We could see the pride on every parent’s face when they received it.
Similarly the prizes for online Tambola and quiz were senior friendly and very useful. One of the couples who were winners said they felt that Santa has come home when the gifts were personally couriered to them.
Team CovaiCare would like to thank you for spreading “HAPPINESS” to all our residents and staff Ma’am.
Bhasker Sir would be wearing his signature smile on his face as he watches us from above.
Revathi Ma’am, you are carrying his “Happiness Torch” which would be shining bright FOREVER.
“If you can make 30 people happy in one hour that means it is 30 hours of Happiness” – Shri S K Bhasker

Tambola Happenings for OCTOBER 2021 by Mr Krishnan

Ageless Numbers
Revathi Bhasker adds Pizazz to Whatsapp
The manner in which Revathi Bhasker conducted Whatstambola on October 2, 2021 with her electronic baton and the way the fastest finger first won several Housie rounds, took me back to the first time we played this Luck By Chance game.
The mid 70s
My first experience of Tambola was in the College of Military Engineering(CME), Pune, where Colonel Sridharan hosted us in the Officers’ Mess.
Housie, Tambola or Bingo was a staple diet for Army officers and their better halves. Young Captains, Lieutenant Colonels and older officers had this Sunday Binge(o) every once in a while. The junior officers eyeing their “crushes”, the just-weds with stars in their eyes and the “Few years married” getting to understand what crush meant - all gather in the officer’s mess for chewing the cud and admiring each other out of uniform.
Distribution of Housie tickets takes place and this Handle Bar moustached gentleman calls the house to order and starts the number calling. This is where the fun begins. I hear words like Lone Ranger, Me and you (2) hum do hamare do (4), Silver Jubilee (25), flirty wife(35), naughty forty (40), pack of cards (52). And it goes on… Glasses refilled, decibel of laughter at a high, notes being exchanged on winning, losing and losing by a whisker. Dinner is served, happiness abounds and everyone heads home.
The Mid 90s
All of this is hearsay, but we who know South Bombay sophisticates can vouch that this has more than a ring of truth. Cylindrically well endowed housewives sit around a Board Room style table - arriving 15 minutes early (I am the organiser) to 15 minutes late (extra HNW wife). After lot of hugging and ummmmas and “ you are looking gorgeous, to my hairdresser flew down from London specially for this”, the table money for the Tammmbola, which could fund a midday meal for a mid sized district, is placed in the centre in a silver jewellery box. The steward is unfazed as the first discussion is whether to have Chinese or Indian. Orders for chow mien, pav bhaji and dahi Wada et al, float around and with the steward hovering between “ at whose head shall I aim the tawa and Yes ma’am, we can make it specially for you, the game begins literally in the soup. A dour looking lady calls out the numbers like she is in a class room, but in between you can hear phrases like Ice Baby, Blue Lagoon, Jumbo Queen, Lily and Jasmine…Don’t ask me what that meant.
330 in the afternoon and arrey baba, my maid has to be dropped home and a flurry of cars are waiting at the porch. Tambola be damned, “ I’ll go home we can talk Anju and Manju…..
Fast Forward to 2021
COVID may have put restrictions on us, but winning hearts and minds is about innovation and if I may use the phrase “Phonovation”.
Revathi, the WhatsApp Tambola wonder, managed to coordinate a mind boggling 108 cell phones with humans behind each and add quiz games to keep minds occupied and prepared for an Incredible India tour to determine the lucky winners on each call. If you thought handling two children was tough, try 108 seniors! There were two prizes in each category, making a total of 28 in all and that made it more nail biting. The enthusiastic, anxious and at times , erroneous phone fingers were handled with a soft touch and wait till I check finger on the phone key. 👍, 👌,😩, 👏 and Thanks flew from phone to phones and finally, winners won, losers won and Revathi must have heaved a sigh and beamed. The first prizes were torchlights, with rechargeable batteries. God knows we need more light and definitely more recharge in our lives.
A fitting tribute to Mr. Bhasker🙏
Nobody went home, as were all at home.
Thank you Revathi.
V. Krishnan S3, Santosham Extn. 13

Prizes for Happiness Day Tambola and Quiz

APPRECIATION BY MR AND MRS SUBBARAYAN

"Dear Revathi,

The Toda hut to the Tudor home, in the exhibition, projected a very high level of creativity and innovation in using waste . All put together I saw a Laurie Baker and Nek Chand in the making. An awesome “Happiness Community ‘’ so true to the Spirit of Bhaskar. An amazing initiative.
Housing is one of the basic human needs and is part of the overall rural identity, and any changes in its pattern creates a widespread transformation in the various dimensions of the life. ‘Sky is not the limit for anyone with a passion’.
The designs had a message for the future,.‘The future for many is in Community living , eco consciousness and bringing Nature closer to home, using Covai Care S 3 as a model!
The “inside out and outside in” is the marketing term to a traditional home with the Mitham seen in our grandparents homes. These designs are coming back in style for a humongous price.
The earthy colored houses in Tudor style. The color of the facade of the house is the first attraction. Nothing is more warm than feeling connected to Mother Earth.
The front elevation balcony gives an unobstructed view of nature with space to sit out and dream big. It adds the height to the house also.
Understanding more deeply Revathi I am intrigued with the Native intelligence of our youth living in rural Pachapalayam India. Every model displayed comprehensive planning based on regional knowledge, which showed an intrinsic engineering skill in many.
The key elements for a well-designed house, sun light, including keeping the need of natural light in most areas, being connected to nature, even including the modern skylight technique and stained glass window panes. Their skills were seen in the position of the main door, the windows and positioning them for ventilation and energy flow was amazing.
The facade colour, landscaping and providing space for pets, and amenities including space for a vehicle parking, exhibited a transformational dimension in their thinking, about the behaviour changes and their aspirations. It is not a dream but a reality that we will see a Smart City soon. I see a career opportunity to many of our youth.
Subbarayan and I would like to get the models framed for those who would like it done. ‘My first is always has a special place’

Love to all the ‘Happy Bhaskarans’
Raji & Subbarayan

Covai S3 Staff Programme presented to

Prabhuji

Entertainment programme by Staff of Covai S3 Retirement Community presented to Shri Gauranga Das and Team ISKCON on 12 Oct 21. Part 2 has Prabhuji’s talk to us. Recorded by one of our esteemed resident Shri L Manian